Expanding mandrel



` March 16, 1948. M. L. WHITSON ETAL Y 2,437,718

EXPANDING MANDREL Filed March 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l vf. Z W@ .5 H Mm March 16, 1948. M 1 WH|TSON ET AL 2,437,718

EXPANDING MANDREL Filed March 26, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 glu/umm MQWLW Patented Mar. 16, 1948 Mercer 'L. Whitson, Norfolk, and Hiawatha F. Collette, Portsmouth, Va.

'implication MarchtZG, 1945, Serial No. 584,990

(Granted under the act of March 3.1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. v757) 6 Claims.

This inventionA relates to an expansible work support especially adapted to be utilized for supporting work which is to .be fabricated and shaped to conform thereto and in particular to an expansible support for Vuse in fabricating valve, ntting and ange covers such as lare-employed in the lagging of steam andother hotgas.

or hot liquid transporting lines. As will be 4appreciated, especially where an vunlagged pipe line is utilized for carrying such substances for considerable distances-from the source of supply to the destination, an appreciable amount of heat is dissipated vby means of radiation to surrounding surfaces as well as by conduction to the surrounding air.

One vobject of this invention is to provide a substantially cylindrical work `support which is composed of sections and which may be adjusted to provide a 'support'havingvarious diameters in the general form of a cylinder, of a lform having one or more cylindrical sections of diameters different 'from that of the remaining sections, or of a form similar to that of a stepped cone. Thus, regardless of irregularity of lshapeof valve, flange or other pipe ttingto loe-lagged, it is possible to form a suitable cover Vby 'merely adjusting the various Vsections of themandrel to the shape desired.

Another object of thisinvention is to provide a work support of vsheet metal whichis adapted to be assembled readily andadjusted `to 'the form desired.

Another object of this invention is to provide a support which may be collapsed readily for permitting the removal of the work pieces therefrom which have been fabricated thereon.

Other objects as well as the various other features of this invention will be apparent from an' examination of the description and the accompanying drawings, of which:

Fig. 1 isa side elevation view of the worksupport;

Fig. 21s a side view partially insection of .one of the elements of the support butin whichrcertain of thepalrts are omittedfor clarity;

Fig. 3 is anend view in section taken along line B-B of Fig, 1;

Fig. 4 is an rend viewxin-'sectionyalong the line A--A of Fig. l;

Fig. 5 is 'apartial Vsection ofthe invention taken along line C-C of Fig. 2; and

With reference to the drawings, Fig. 1, the Work support `I -is mounted on conventional pedestals 2 having readily releasable bearing clamps 3, which will permit shaft 4 with. the plurality of identical expansible sections imounted thereon to be rotated as desired.

The novel features of this invention reside primarily in the construction of the sections which.,

with particular reference `to Figs. lZthrough '5 is as follows: Each Vsectionincludes .a pair of discs 6 and i perforated at their centers 8.and 9 respectively for mounting'on shaft '4. Disc Bis fixed to shaft 4 by .any convenient'. means, such Ias by a set screw I0 secured to integral collar II. Disc l', however, is freeto lrotate on shaft 4 and, a1- though adapted to communicate-'with discfl, is spaced therefrom .by'means of a .pair of'collars I2 and I3 secured tothe shaft 4.

A series of equally spaced arcuate slotsplt, of equal length andhaving equal'radii, Aarecutin the xed disc 6. The slots. I4, making equal angles with the radii of the'disc 6, are generated from points near the center of the disc and are as close together as lpossible withoutaifecting the strength thereof.

Disc 1 .is formed to provide an equal number of equally spaced slots I5 .extending in a radial direction, The 'location of both ends of each radial slot I5Y coincides with that ofthe correspending ends of a slot .I4 of the companion disc. Disc l' is strengthened by providing .housings I6 in the form of channel guides covering the slots as illustrated in Figs. y4 .and 5 located on the side of disc 1 facing away from companion .disc 6. These guideaas shown in Figs. 6, are engaged by a bracket I6a secured tothe inner surface of each of the expansible sections. Thus, as the segmental sections .are withdrawn or retracted, they are 'restrained .tomove radially with respect tothe discs. .On one .of .these housingsis proy vided a rack .I'I having a. serieslof `equally vspaced notches lla. The relationship .of ,each vpair of slots I4 and I'5 is such thatfrotationof-disc.1 with respect to its companiondisc '5 vvoi" the pair .will produce movement of-abodyengaging both slots at points the same distance .from the .center of both discs along the radialslot l5.

The expanding feature of eachsection includes a series of substantially identical Ll-shapedsegmental shoes I8, each shoe consisting of. parallel side members I8 andafface portionZ forming a sector ofa.hol1ow .cylinder .adapted to Ireceive a `portion .of `a `pair .'ofpdiscs and l. When .in the collapsed or retracted position, `,tl'lesegmental shoes. of -a unit form,.substantially, a closed .regular cylinder and .when .extended tothe greatest diameter, the segmentalshoes I8 have suilicient depth to prevent therdiscs 6 and 1 from being ccmpletelyuncovcred andexposed. AAsillustratecl in Figs. 2 and Seach shoe is.constrained to ffollow the path rdeiined by a cooperating Apair `of slots is Vand I5 .and :a `guide member I 6. A nrod .2l which is perpendicular to` the .side members I9 and discs 5 and 'I engages slots I4 and AI5.so that byreascn of its being rigidlysecuredto.segmental shoe IS, preferably at the inner side of 4iace portion 20 by Imeans of a bar or plate 22, the shoes i8 are caused to move outward or inward dependpreferably on one adjacent the latch which may be gripped for assisting in withdrawing the various segments of a unit to a given diameter and also to prevent rotation of the various segments when the shaft is rotated.

In order to afford a better understanding of* the invention the intended mode of operation 'is as follows: The entire support withall segments retracted is substantially in the form of a cylinder, wherein the segments form housings over the segment operating mechanisms and discs to prevent material supported on the work support from fouling this structure. Assuming it is in this condition and it is desired to extend the segments of any one section, the latch 23 is released. The operator grasps handle 24 firmly to prevent rotation of the sector and causes shaft 4 to be rotated in a clockwise direction.

By reason of the slots |14 and I5 into which the ends of pin 2| extend, the shoes of each section are all caused to be withdrawn to the diameter desired, after which latch 23 is turned into the locking position. VDepending upon the nal shape to be assumed by the support, the various sections are expanded or contracted as desired. As soon as all the sections have been adjusted and locked into position, the work 25, may be constructed from laminated fabric, which is applied as the support is rotated and shaped to conform to the portion of the support over which the laminated material lies. Upon completion of the work it may be removed in two pieces, as two uniform shells, by cutting longitudinally through the wall thereof at two diametrically opposed sections. The support is then ready for use again or it may be readjusted to provide a new contour for forming a valve, fitting or flange cover of a different shape or size.

It will be understood that the above description and accompanying drawings comprehend only the general and preferred embodiment of the invention and that various changes in ccnstructon, proportion and arrangement of the parts may be made within the scope of the appended claims without sacricing any of the advantages of the invention.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government of the United States of America for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

We claim:

1. An expansible work support, upon which may be formed heat insulators for use on valves, pipe flanges, couplings and the like of a substantially cylindrical hollow shape, mounted for rotation about an axis which is composed of a series of cylindrical sections mounted closely adjacent each other along a common axis, each section including means for varying the diameter of that section independently of all other sections whereby the work support may assume the configuration of a stepped cylinder, and means in cooperation with each section for locking that section in position independently of all other sections. y

2. An expansible work support, upon which may be formed heat insulators for use on valves, pipe flanges, couplings and the like of a substantially cylindrical hollow shape, comprising a series of cylinders mounted on a common shaft, each cylinder including a pair of discs mounted in spaced relationship on said shaft, a series of segmental units mounted on said discs, means engaging the discs and segmental units for securing the segments of one cylinder radially, and means for securing all the segments of one unit in any one of a plurality of radial positions.

3. A work support, upon which may be formed heat insulators for use on valves, pipe flanges, couplings and the like of a substantially cylindrical hollow shape, comprising a series of expansible cylinders mounted closely adjacent each other on a common axis, each cylinder comprising a pair of juxtaposed discs and a plurality of segments, each segment including a face and side pieces, said segments so positioned on said discs that said side and face pieces form housings thereover.

4. An` expansible support upon which may be formed heat insulators for use on valves, pipe flanges, couplings and the like of a substantially cylindrical hollow shape, comprising a series of cylinders mounted closely adjacent each other along an axis whereby said cylinders provide a substantially continuous support for work material placed thereon, each cylinder including expanslble means and operating means associated with said expansible means, said expansible means formed to provide a shield for said operating means to prevent said work material from contacting said operating means.

5. A mandrel uponv which may be formed heat insulators, for use on valves, pipe flanges, couplings and the like, of a substantially cylindrical hollow shape comprising a plurality of expansible cylindrical independent sections mounted in juxtaposition along a common cylindrical shaft, each of said sections consisting of a plurality of U-shaped segmental shoes, each of said sections being radially adjustable independently of all other sections and adapted to be locked into any one of a number of preselected positions.

6. A mandrel upon which may be formed heat insulators for valves, pipe flanges, couplings, and the like, of 1 a substantially cylindrical hollow shape comprising a series of expansible cylindrical independent sections, each section consisting of a plurality of segmental shoes having arcuate exterior surfaces and including means independent of all other sections for expanding each section into a plurality of positions having different diameters while maintaining the contour of said arcuate surfaces substantially circular, and means for securing each of said sections into any one of said plurality of expanded positions. l

MERCER L. WHITSON. HILAWATHA F. COLLETTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 867,431 Simpson Oct. 1, 1907 1,607,384 Ball Nov. 16J 1926 1,734,773 Murray Nov. 5, 1929 1,795,021 Goin Mar. 3, 1931 

